


How Ian Boothby Joined the Asgardian Court

by Squirrel_Stone



Series: Infinite [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-19
Updated: 2015-12-19
Packaged: 2018-05-07 13:17:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5457809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Squirrel_Stone/pseuds/Squirrel_Stone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A missing scene from Long Live</p>
            </blockquote>





	How Ian Boothby Joined the Asgardian Court

Ian wandered away from Darcy, his eyes fixed on a middle-aged blonde woman he’d seen in the records Darcy swiped. His steps forward were near-hesitant, but he managed to straighten his back before he reached her. He cleared his throat, catching the woman’s attention.

“May I have this dance, Chancellor?” he asked. His voice cracked and his heart stopped, but he refused to show any other signs that he was nervous.

The woman smiled, not a true smile, but one that was kind enough. “Certainly,” she agreed. She turned to her male companion and declared, “I’ll return shortly, Odr.”

Ian held his hand out, praying Freya didn’t notice how sweaty it was when he took it. “It is an honor to have an audience with you,” he declared as they walked out onto the dance floor.

“So that’s what this is,” the woman sighed. “An audience with the head of the Justice Department.” There was a weight in her voice that Ian recognized as tiredness, but not surprise.

Ian cleared this throat again, this time seeking something to fill the silence before he spoke. “Actually, I was hoping for an audience with Sigyn’s mother,” he corrected her.

Freya turned to him and gave him a look that he swore cut through to his soul. “Alright,” she declared with a nod. “You have my interest.” Her free hand went to Ian’s shoulder, and they began a waltz. “You are one of Prince Thor’s friends, correct?”

“I am,” Ian replied quickly with a nod. “My friend Darcy and I wound up looking into your daughter’s death... Chancellor, did you know that your old home was burned?”

Freya scoffed. “Of course I know,” she said. “I’m no fool. You believe this is related to Sigyn’s death?”

Ian swallowed hard and nodded again. “I think Sigyn’s entire life in the palace led to her death,” he explained. “I have a theory as to what happened, but I’ll need access to records in the Justice Department to prove it.”

“And what proof do you have now?” Freya asked. “Why should I trust a Midgardian with some of our realm’s most important documents?”

“Chancellor, your house has been burned while the king claims it was attacked by Jotuns,” Ian hissed, glancing over the woman’s shoulder to make sure Odin was nowhere near. “Please, tell me that doesn’t sound suspicious.” There was a long moment of silence before Ian added in, “If I’m right, it’s only a matter of time before what happened to your daughter happens to someone else. You are the _head of the Justice Department_. If there’s anyone who understands the importance of keeping that next person safe, it’s you. I know I can’t stand by and watch it. Can you?”

There was a long moment of hesitation before the chancellor nodded. “I will help you, but there is only so much I can do before coming under investigation. One thing is that I can offer to help foster relations with Midgard by taking on a ward to learn the ways of our judicial system.”

“Yes, yes, I’ll take it,” Ian replied readily.

“You won’t have free rein,” Freya quickly added. “It will be a real job with real work. Your duties as my ward will come before your investigation.”

“Absolutely,” Ian replied. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement, and he turned Freya so he could see Darcy leave with a masked man. To anyone else, he was just a face in the crowd, but if Ian’s crazy hunch was right, he knew exactly who Darcy was leaving with.

Freya noticed the look on Ian’s face. “If you wish to uncover what happened to my daughter, you must learn to school your face,” she told him. “You think this ‘next person’ is here, don’t you?”

Ian took a deep breath and looked back at the woman. He forced a smile onto his face, one all too similar to the one she had given him when they first spoke, and said, “Why Chancellor, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”


End file.
